New agri export policy to focus on setting up agro specific zones: Prabhu

The government will soon come out with a new agri export policy which would have provisions for setting up agro specific zones to boost outbound shipments, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said Thursday.

The minister said India produces nearly 600 metric tonne (MT) of agri products including horticultural produce and its strategy is to increase farmers' income and reduce wastage of food products.

He added that India is bestowed with the potential to produce all varieties of organic commodities due to the country's varied agro-climatic regions.

"It is a great advantage for organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in both domestic and export markets," the commerce ministry said in a statement quoting Prabhu.

India ranks first in terms of total number of organic producers and 9th in terms of world's organic agricultural land, it said.

In 2017-18, India produced around 1.70 MT of certified organic commodities which includes oilseeds, sugarcane, cereals and millets, cotton, pulses, medicinal plants, tea, fruits, spices, dried fruits, vegetables and coffee.

Total volume of organic exports during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT.

India's organic products are exported to the US, EU, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan.